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It left Foxes staff , players and coach Claude Puel in the dark and affected plans for the game at Goodison, which they lost 2-1 without Mahrez.

Although his teammates are frustrated by Mahrez’s behaviour this week there is sympathy that he has his head turned by City, who tabled multiple unsuccessful bids in an effort to land the former player of the year.

The players are understood to be ready to welcome Mahrez back into the fold.

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Mahrez could get a £200,000 fine for going missing - but could also face the wrath of drug testers (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Their final offer for in-form Mahrez was believed to be worth around £65m, but Leicester were insisting Mahrez was worth at least £80m .

Leicester believe their valuation of the Ballon d’Or nominee, who has a Premier League winners’ medal and two-and-a-half years left on his contract, was fair after Liverpool this month paid £75m for Virgil van Dijk and Barcelona £145m for Philippe Coutinho.

It is the second successive window Mahrez has pushed unsuccessfully for a move after leaving Algeria’s national team camp in the summer on deadline day.